Adjara. ISFED, Transparency International and GYLA have organized a meeting in Batumi on April 10 over amendments made to the Election Code.Meeting participants have discussed positive and negative aspects of these amendments. In addition, they have examined recommendations for the post-election period.Elections.

Tbilisi. A training was delivered on April 8 in the Training Center of the Central Election Commission for candidate women concerning the registration in the self-government elections and other procedural issues. Members of the leader women's data base (administered by the Gender Equality Network) from various political parties and potential independent candidates have participated in the training. Source: web page of the Gender Equality Network in the social network.

Tbilisi. On April 2nd "Gender Equality Centre” held an event attended by NGOs and international organizations, and the members of political parties. 234 women consented to take part in the 2014 municipal elections.The event was held within the framework of "Gender Equality in Political Processes” project with the help of GEN, USAID, and IFES. Source:the organization's page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics launches monitoring of the self-government election coverage. Monitoring will start on April 1 and last until the end of June.To identify the trends, the Charter of Journalistic Ethics will observe the pre-election and post-election periods. Monitors will observe the coverage of the self-government elections in respect of seven national and five regional broadcasters. Source: media.ge

Kakheti. In the period preceding the municipal elections in Georgia the NGO "Media Centre Kakheti”, newspaper "Kakheti Voice” and the web-portal www.kakhetinews.ge will give free advertisement space to all the women candidates. They will have a chance to present their election programmes.

Tbilisi. Three Georgian NGOs will be monitoring 39 media outlets (8 TV channels, 12 radio stations, 7 newspapers, 12 online editions) before and during the municipal elections in June 2014.   For the full text Source: Media.ge

Tbilisi. On March 10, in Radisson Hotel a round-table meeting about women involvement in political processes. During the meeting were discussed women’s involvement in the previous elections, as well as the strategies and plans for encouraging women’s participation in political processes and in local municipal elections. The meeting was organized by MIND, IFES, and OSCE/ODIHR. Source: Web-page of EEDC in social network.

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has set up a group in the social network titled "Media and 2014 Elections". The group aims to set up an online platform for journalists and media outlets where they can raise issues of importance to them related to the pre-election process. The group is open for any journalist or media organization interested in covering the local self-government election process. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released a statement in the social network. "Currently the amendments to be made to the election legislation are being debated at the 2nd hearing of the Parliament’s plenary session. Despite number of significant amendments, several issues still remain, non-acceptance of which would leave the election environment still problematic. Namely, it is necessary: to create multi-mandate election districts for the single-seat election of the Sakrebulos in order to secure the one vote equal protection principle; to provide the possibility of nominating independent candidates by initiative groups in the self-government elections, which will warrant political pluralism and in case of absence of which this Code will directly contradict international standards and Georgia’s obligations before the OSCE. We urge the Parliament to take these issues into consideration as well,” says the statement. Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The "Young Constitutionalists’ Association” has submitted with the Audit Office a 5-point package of recommendations in respect of the regulations of the Interim Commission working on monitoring of lawfulness and transparency of political funding. "Setting up such a commission and staffing it by CSO representatives ahead of coming elections will have a positive impact on establishment of healthy and competitive pre-election environment in Georgia. All of this should be in the interests of each Georgian citizen,” says the organization’s web page. For the full text. Source: gyca.ge

Tbilisi. The "Identification-Elimination of Duplications in the Data Base” project was presented on February 27 in the "Holiday Inn” Hotel. The project aims to clarify to the maximum extent the voter data in the integrated election list for the 2014 local self-government elections. Source: web page of the Election Environment Development Center in the social network.

Tbilisi. The General Auditor of the State Audit Office LashaTordia has met on February 25 with the CSO representatives. Meeting participants have discussed regulatory issues of a pre-election campaign for the 2014 local self-government elections. Source: the Election Environment Development Center.

Kakheti. At the initiative of the Telavi Office of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association and the Kakheti Regional Office of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a round table was organized in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center. Meeting participants have discussed the results of monitoring carried out by CSOs during the 2013 presidential elections. At the meeting the representative of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy has talked about the amendments made to the Election Code.Representatives of CSOs, local self-government, Central Election Commission, political parties and media have participated in the meeting.

Tbilisi. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy and Transparency International Georgia welcome the readiness of the ruling coalition in terms of raising an election barrier up to  50% for the upcoming municipal elections. For the full text Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International - Georgia has released a statement in the social network. "We welcome today's initiative of the Prime Minister concerning the introduction of 50% threshold for electing the city mayors and municipality Gamgebelis. We believe with this regulation the country will have the mayors and Gamgebelis enjoying higher degree of trust and legitimacy. Two considerable issues related to the electoral system still require attention and we hope the authorities will take them into consideration as well," says the statement. For the full text Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Government of Georgia, parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition, civil society and international organizations join hands for the electoral reform. The conference focused on the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations made after the 2013 Presidential Elections and on the future steps in reforming the electoral legislation.The conference was organized by the UNDP and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), with assistance from the European Union.The event brought together representatives of the Georgian Parliament, Ministry of Justice,Central Electoral Commission, State Audit Office and the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC), as well as from political parties, civil society organizations, international agencies and diplomatic missions. Source:www.ge.undp.org

Tbilisi. Starting from February 5, observers of the Election Environment Development Center will fully observe the course of certification exams of the election administration officials in the Central Election Commission of Georgia.The exams are organized by the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings. Source: page of the Election Environment Development Center in the social network.

Tbilisi. CSOs have released recommendations for the 2014 local self-government elections. The document includes the following issues: simplification of the polling day procedures, optimization of number of the Election Commission members, steps required for better preparation of the election administration, restriction of propaganda on the polling day, funding of political parties, media and elections, gender equality. Recommendations signed by 7 CSOs were sent for examination to the inter-factional group of the Parliament. For the full text Source:eedc.org.ge

Tbilisi. A meeting of the group working on issues related to persons with disabilities was held on January 27 in the Central Election Commission. The participants have discussed maximum participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral processes and their full engagement in the self-government elections.Representatives of the CEC, Public Defender's Office and local CSOs including the Election Environment Development Center have attended the meeting of the working group. Source: the Election Environment Development Center.

Tbilisi. CSOs have met with representatives of political parties in the central office of the "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" and discussed the amendments to be made to the Election Code for the purposes of the 2014 self-government elections. The "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy", "Georgian Young Lawyers' Association" and "Transparency International - Georgia" have participated in the meeting. Draft version of the election system developed by the organizations. Source: isfed.ge

OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Observer Mission has released the report of the observation mission on the presidential election held in Georgia in 2013.The report was released on 14 January 2014. The report (in English) Source: osce.org

Tbilisi. A public discussion was held on December 27 on women candidates running in the self-government elections, with participation of the Tbilisi Sakrebulo members, candidates intending to run in the local self-government elections, and representatives of the Gender Equality Network, CSO and international organizations and media. Source: web page of the Gender Equality Network in the social network